Combined foot and roller



July 13, 1954 H. F. J. BERNAERTS COMBINED FOOT AND- ROLLER Filed Jan.22, 1951 Fae. 362 was;

' and maintenance.

Patented July 13, 1954 COMBINED FOOT AND ROLLER Henricus F. J.Bernaerts, Weert, Netherlands Application January 22, 1951, Serial No.207,131

Claims priority, application Netherlands February 2, 1950 7 Claims. (01.16-18) The invention refers to a lifting jack with a central liftingcolumn, said column being supported of three or more legs, each legbeing provided with a footplate (see e. g. U. S. specifications2,341,542 and 2,487,792).

Such lifting jacks are used for lifting heavy objects, particularlyaircraft for control, repair An object of the invention consists inincreasing the handability of such lifting jacks which often have to betransported over large distances in repairshops, booths or hangars.

According to the invention the lifting jack is constructed in such a waythat it can be wheeled by means of one or more of the footplates in aduring transport they function as wheels which,

enable an easy transport over large distances.

Preferably one or more footplates consist of a wheel disk said diskbeing rotatably connected with a swinging shaft, said shaft beingcarried by the leg. The swinging connection between shaft and leg may beconstructed in different ways. It is possible to use a ball and socketjoint which enables universal positioning of the footplate. It is alsopossible to use a double joint or cardan joint which provides the samepossibilities. In some cases it is sufilcient to use a single joint. Inthis case the swinging shaft and the leg are mutually connected by meansof a cylindrical cross-member of the one part, said member beinginserted in a cylindrical socket of the other part.

The leg may be provided with a locking pin said pin engaging acorresponding bore in a lug of the shaft. Said arrangement showsadvantages over, an arrangement in which the shaft carries a pinengaging a bore of the leg, for by such a bore the leg would beweakened. The pin of the leg may be provided with a notch for a latchcarried by the shaft. The swinging shaft and the leg may be mutuallysupported in the vertical position of the wheel disk by means of a riband a corresponding slot. I

The drawing shows some embodiments of a lifting jack according to theinvention.

Fig. 1 gives a longitudinal section of a leg with a footplate in theform of a wheel disk. I

Fig. 2 shows the parts of Fig. l in a position in which the footplate isswung downwards.

Figs. 3 and 4 give longitudinal sections of a second and thirdembodiment of the invention.

. position.

'a'sm l'e 'joint is used with ashaft. IE] inserted Fig. 5 gives a frontview of the inner side of the footplate.

In Fig. 1 the leg I of a lifting jack, the central column of it is notshown in the drawing, said central column being supported by three ofsuch legs. When the lifting jack is in use for supporting a heavyobject, the footplate 2 is positioned as indicated in Fig. 2. From thisposition the swinging shaft 3 may be swung with respect to the leg I insuch a way that the axle 4 of the footplate 2 which has the shape of awheeldisk comes ina horizontal position (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) In thisposition the shaft may be latched by means of a latch 6 snapping into anotch of a locking pin 7, said pin engaging a bore of a lug ti of theshaft 3.

As may be seen from Fig. 5 the latch 6 may be lifted against pressure ofthe spring 5 by means of a handle 9 in order to unlock the latch t andto swing back the footplate '12 in the horizontal In the embodiment ofFigs. 1 and 2 through bores of legs of the U-shapd'end of the leg I,said legs enclosing a lug ll of the axle 4.

In the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 the leg I carries a cylindricalcross-member it which is inserted in a corresponding socket of the shaft3 which is locked by means of a closing disk 13'. The describedembodiments have a footplate, which shows in unlocked position a limitedadaptability to unevennesses of the ground. However, the embodiment ofFig. 4 shows a universal adaptability to such unevennesses for in thiscase a ball and socket joint is used. The ball shaped end M of the leg Iis supported in a socket of the shaft 3 which is closed by means of aclosing disk I5 In order to improve the connection between the leg I andthe shaft 3' in the locked position of the shaft (Fig. 3), the leg isprovided with a rib l6 joining the pin 7, said rib engaging acorresponding groove of the shaft 3'.

In the described embodiments the foot plate 2 which has a shape of awheel disk may be locked against shifting on the axle 4', respectivelythe shaft 3 by means of a locking plate H, which is secured to the axle4 of Figs. 1 and 2 or to the shaft 3 of Fig. 3 or to the shaft 3 ofFigs. 4 and 5 by any conventional means, as by spot welding.

What I claim is:

1. In combination; a leg of a lifting jack and a supporting structuretherefor, said supporting structure comprising a swinging shaft,swinging connection means between the said swinging shaft and the lowerend of the said leg, a foot plate formedas a wheel disc rotatablymounted on the said swinging shaft, swinging together with the saidswinging shaft into a horizontal position of the footplate forsupporting the jack and into a vertical position of the footplate forwheeling the jack, respectively, and means disposed adjacent to thelower end of the said leg for releasably securing the said footplateinvertical wheeling position.

2. The leg and supporting structure, as set forth in claim 1, in whichthe said swinging connection means between the said swingingnshaft andthe lower end of the said leg comprises a single joint which includes aU-shapedformat-ion havingtwo parallelly disposed arms at.the:lower.endof'the said leg, said arms of the U-shaped formation having alignedbores, a lug *extending'fromthe said axle and received in the spacebetween the said arms, the said lug having a bore beingaligned with thesaid bores of the said arms, and a second ,shaft extending through. thesaid bores of the arms and of the lug and connectingithe said axle withthe said leg for rotation'upon said second shaft.

3. The leg and supporting structure, as set forth in claim 1, inwhicliithe said swinging connection means between the said swingingshaft and the lower endof'the said leg comprises a cylindricalcross-member secured to Y the lower end of the'said leg, the saidswinging shaft includes a socket receiving the said cylindricalcross-member, and a closingdisc secured to the said swinging shaft to"lock the said cylindrical cross-member in the said socket.

4. The leg and supporting structure,. as set forth in claim 1, in whichthe said swinging con nection means between the said swinging shaft andthe lower end of the said leg comprises a ball secured to thelowerend'of the said leg, the said swinging shaft includes. a socketreceiving the said ball, and a closing disc secured to the" saidswinging shaft to lock the said ball in'the said socket.

- said pin inthe said lug of the swinging shaft.

6. The leg and supporting structure, as set forth in claim 1, in whichthe said means disposed adjacent the lower end of the said leg forreleasably securing the said foot plate in vertical wheeling positioncomprises a pin extending from the said leg, the said swinging shaft hasa lug disposed opposite the said pin of the leg in vertical wheelingposition of the said swinging shaft, the said lug has a bore to receivethe said pin ofthe leg, the said lug has pivotally secured thereto alatch and the said pin has a notch receiving the said latch in order tolock the swinging shaft in vertical wheeling position.

7. The leg and supportingstructure, as set forth in claim 1, in whichthe said foot plate has arecess, and a locking plate disposed in thesaid recess to secure the-said foot plate to the said swinging shaft.

. References Cited. inv the .file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 887,663 Lee May 12, 1908 1,358,092 Millard Nov. 9, 19201,396,128 Kopplin Nov. 8, 1921 1,638,725 Chestnutt Aug. 9, 19272,487,792 Custer Nov. 15, 1949 2,572,348 Y Johnson Oct. 23, 1951

